Device for tieing ribbon bows



Aug. 19, 1969 "R. P. SMITH, 3,462,049

DEVICE FOR TIEING RIBBON BOWYS Filed Oct. 13, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1. I I

INVENTOR RAYMONOP. SMITH 7 A? ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,462,049 Patented Aug. 19, 1969 US. Cl. 223-46 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for use in tieing ornamental ribbon bows for use on corsages, floral sprays, gift packages and the like, having a slot for receiving intermediate portions of successive laps of a length of ribbon and in which said ribbon portions are yieldably engaged so that said portions may be twisted when applied to the slot to form twisted ornate bow loops. The device has a second slot disposed crosswise of and between transversely spaced parts of the first slot to receive a second piece of ribbon used to tie the bow loops together. A tensioning unit of the device applies variable pressure to the parts forming the first slot and enables the width of the first slot to be varied.

Background of the invention The invention relates to the art of forming decorative ribbon bows utilizing a holder or jig in which lapped portions of a length of ribbon are releasably clamped and held twisted while a second piece of ribbon is tied around the intermediate portions of the ribbon laps to complete the ornamental ribbon bow.

The prior art discloses a jig for receiving and holding the lapped portions of a ribbon while a bow is being formed; however, the ribbon holding means is not capable of releasably clamping an intermediate part of each ribbon lap so that said parts may be held twisted to provide ornate partially twisted bow loops.

Summary It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a device or holder to receive and releasably grip intermediate parts of lapped portions of a length of ribbon and with said intermediate parts held twisted to form ornate twisted bow loops.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder having means for receiving a shorter length of ribbon to be tied around the intermediate portions of the ribbon laps for completing the decorative ribbon bow prior to removal thereof from the holder.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of extremely simple construction which may be very economically manufactured, will be extremely efficient in use, and by the use of which unskilled persons may readily and accurately produce ornate bows of various sizes for use on corsages, fioral pieces, gift packages, and the like.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tensioning means for varying the amount of gripping pressure applied to the lapped portions engaged by the holder and for adapting the holder for use with lengths of ribbon of different widths and thicknesses.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the holder in use;

FIGURE 2 is an edge elevational view, partly in vertical section, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded side elevational view, partly broken away, looking toward the opposite side of the device from the side viewed in FIGURE 1, with the ribbons omitted and on a reduced scale;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane corresponding to the planeof FIGURE 3, but with the ribbon omitted; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring more specifically to the drawings, the device for use in tieing ribbon bows in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 10 and includes a base 11 and a bifurcated standard 12.

The base 11 has a substantially flat bottom surface or edge 13 which is adapted to rest upon a suitable horizontal supporting surface, such as a table top 14. The base 11 is of a length, as measured horizontally, greater than its vertical width. The standard 12 is formed integral with and extends upwardly from one end of the base 11.

The two furcations 15 and 16 of the standard 12 are spaced a substantial distance apart to form a relatively wide slot 17 therebetween which opens through the upper end of the standard 12 and which extends downwardly to adjacent the lower end of the standard. The slot 17 preferably increases gradually in width from its lower end to its open upper end.

A second slot 18, which is narrower than the slot 17, extends through the standard 12 from top to bottom thereof, as seen in FIGURE 2, and is disposed at a right angle to the slot 17. The slot 18 extends through the end portion of the base 11 from which the standard 12 rises and inwardly of said base 11 beyond the standard, as seen in FIGURES 3, 6 and 7, for the purpose that will hereinafter become apparent. The slot 18 divides the furcations 15 and 16 into corresponding furcation halves 15a and 15b and 16a and 16b, respectively. The portions of the slot 18 which divide the furcations 15 and 16 are flared at the upper ends of said furcations, as seen at 19 in FIGURE 2.

As best seen in FIGURE 5, an opening 20 extends through the standard 12 below the slot 17 and crosswise of the slot 18 to receive a portion of the shank of a headed bolt 21 which extends through an opening 22 of a leaf spring 23, between an end portion 24 thereof which bears against a side of the base 11 and an end portion 25 which bears against a coplanar side of the furcation half 16a. A nut threadedly engages the bolt 21 and bears against the outer side of the spring 23 around the opening 22. As seen in FIGURE 5, the spring 23 is spaced from the furcation half 16a and the base 11 between the portions 25 and 24 thereof, so that the nut 26 can be tightened for reducing the width of the slot 18 and for causing the furcation halves to be yieldably constricted.

The base 11 has a bore 27 extending from top to bottom therethroug-h, adjacent the end of the base located remote from the slot 18, to receive a pin 28 which is anchored in and rises from the surface 14 for retaining the device or holding 10 in an upright position on the surface 14.

In utilizing the device 10 for tieing a decorative ribbon bow, a short length of ribbon 29 is initially applied to the first slot 17 and positioned across the bottom thereof, as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3. An end portion of a longer length of ribbon is then applied to the slot 18 through its flared upper end 19 between the furcation halves 15a and 15b and 16a and 16b. The second length of ribbon is then lapped back and again applied to the slot 18, and this operation is repeated to form a plurality of loops 31 which are disposed one above the other on opposite sides of the standard 12 with one superimposed tier of loops extending outwardly from the furcation 15 and the other tier thereof extending outwardly from the furcation 16. As best seen in FIGURE 2, each lap is twisted slightly, preferably a quarter of a turn, intermediate of its ends, and said twisted portion 32 is applied to the slot 18 and is yieldably gripped in said slot between the furcation halves 15a and 15b and 16a and 16b, due to the tension exerted by the spring 23, as heretofore described, to retain the twist in the lapped portions 32 and so that the loops 31 will have a twist or curl therein, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, to increase the decorative appearance of the completed bow, not shown.

After the entire length of the ribbon 30, only a small portion of which has been illustrated in FIGURE 1; has thus been applied to the slot 18 to provide the desired number of ribbon loops 31, one end of the tie ribbon 29 is passed upwardly and around the ribbon portions 32 and back through the slot 17 above said ribbon portions 32. The ends of the tie ribbon 29 are then drawn across one another to draw the ribbon portions 32 tightly together and the ribbon 29 is then tied tightly therearound to complete the ribbon how, not shown, which can then be drawn upwardly and out of engagement with the standard 12.

It will be apparent that the spring 23 enables the width of the slot 18 to be varied to accommodate ribbons 30 of diflerent widths and thicknesses for tieing ribbon bows of different sizes.

The device or holder may be formed of various materials, including certain metals, wood, or plastic, having suflicient resiliency so that the slot 18 can be constricted by the spring 23 when pressure is applied thereto by the bolt 21 and the nut 26.

Various. modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for use in tieing ribbon bows comprising an upright bifurcated standard having a first slot disposed between the furcations thereof and opening outwardly of the upper end of the standard and adapted to receive a tie ribbon, and said standard having a second narrower slot disposed crosswise of the first slot and dividing each of the furcations into substantially corresponding halves, said second slot being adapted to receive and releasably clamp intermediate twisted parts of successive laps of a longer length of ribbon to form a plurality of superimposed bow loops which project outwardly from opposite sides of the standard, said first mentioned slot forming a passageway through which one end of the tie ribbon is passed over the twisted intermediate portions of the ribbon laps for securing said twisted portions together by the tie ribbon to complete the ribbon bow.

2. A device as in claim 1, said second slot being flared at its upper end to facilitate applying the twisted inter- I mediate portions of the ribbon laps thereto.

3. A device as in claim 1, said standard beng formed of a material capable of being flexed, and means connected to the standard and adjustable for applying a compressive force to the furcation halves for yieldably constricting said second slot for yieldably clamping the twisted portions of the ribbon laps therein.

4. A device as in claim 1, a base forming a part of said device, said standard rising from one end of said base, and said second slot extending through the end portion of the base from which the standard rises.

5. A device as in claim 4, said standard and base being formed of a material capable of being flexed, and means connected to the standard and adjustable for applying a compressive force to the furcation halves and to the slotted part of the base for yieldably constricting said second slot for yieldably clamping the twisted portions of the ribbon laps therein.

6. A device as in claim 5, said base having a substantially flat bottom surface adapted to rest upon a substantialy horizontal supporting surface, and the other end portion of said base having a downwardly opening bore adapted to receive a pin rising from said supporting surface for connecting the device to the supporting surface to prevent overturning thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,569,943 10/1951 Mitchell 223-46 2,666,249 1/1954 Ruiz et al 28-2 3,044,670 7/1962 Barefoot 223-46 LOUIS K. RIMRODT, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 28-2; 289-17 

